- ANDY CLARK: Question
OK, another email. This is from Venezuela. This is from Alberto Villasmil Raven, and he says: “I would like to know if Professor Chomsky thinks it possible that the U.S. will invade Venezuela.” - NOAM CHOMSKY: Answer
Well, I don’t think they’ll directly invade, but among the regions that are targeted for so-called preventive war, one of them is almost certainly the Andes region. It’s a region of substantial resources. It is, to a certain degree, out of control. The U.S. already has extensive military resources – a large military basing system in Ecuador, the Dutch islands, El Salvador – surrounding the region, and quite a few forces on the ground. My suspicion is that the U.S. will probably, in Venezuela, once again support a coup as it did last year. But if that doesn’t work, direct intervention is not impossible. Remember, this has long been planned. One of the very good things about the United States is it’s a very free society, uniquely so. We have extensive records of internal planning. Right in the middle of the Cuban missile crisis, where we have the records, president Kennedy and his brother were discussing the threat of the Cuban missiles, and they said one of the big problems they posed was: “They might deter an invasion of Venezuela, if we decide to invade.” That was 1962. These are old policies, deeply rooted.